Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2017 | Page 575

INTERVIEW with Honourable Cecil McKie
Minister of Tourism of St. Vincent & the Grenadines

What is St. Vincent and the Grenadines’
special brand of tourism?
St. Vincent and the Grenadines have four (4) main
niche markets. They are:
SAILING Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is
popular with sailors from around the world. The
multiplicity of islands and cays (32 of them!)
appeals to the wanderlust resident in the heart
of seafarers. The idea of island hopping aboard
your yacht is more compelling when you consider
that the islands are bridged with some of the best
sailing waters in the region. The annual Bequia
Easter Regatta is a signature sailing event in SVG
and takes place around March/April.
DIVING SVG is known as the “critter capital”
of the Caribbean; a designation attributed to
it by the popular Sport Diver Magazine. We are
however more than critters, with reefs and wrecks
contributing to a diverse underwater wonderland.
Capital Wrecks, Bat Cave, Japanese Garden and
Layou Wall are irresistible dive sites. The volcanic
geology of SVG helps to ensure that the water is
clear all year round.
ECO-TOURISM From the spectacular Falls
of Baleine to the majestic La Soufriere Volcano
Hiking Trail and the Tobago Cays Marine Park, Eco-
Tourism is as natural to SVG as breast feeding is
to a child. Especially on mainland St Vincent, the
mountainous topography is crisscrossed with
hiking trails through pristine rainforests and there
is the St Vincent Botanical Garden easily within
reach. It is one of the oldest Botanical Gardens in
the Western Hemisphere. Additionally, the many
rivers and water falls and the mixture of black and
white sand beaches tend to entice nature lovers.
ROMANCE/WEDDINGS/HONEYMOONS
Romance has always been synonymous with a
natural, idyllic environment and there is no better
idyllic location for romance than SVG! SVG has
three (3) resort islands. A resort island is an island
that has nothing but a resort on it. So guests
would have these islands all to themselves. Pam
Island, Petit St Vincent and Young Island offer
such exclusivity ideal for couples. But persons
can also opt for the glamour of Mustique or the
sophistication of Canouan or the folksy, bare-foot
elegance of Bequia for their romantic sojourns. Say
“I do”, or renew; say “I love you” on anyone of our
islands and cays of 32.
While St. Vincent and the Grenadines does provide
other types of tourism, these are the four that
we push. We are focusing on expanding on the
range of offerings on these four (4) existing niche
markets to make the destination even more
attractive and exciting.
What is your vision for SVG’s tourism
industry?
For many years Tourism has been the Economic
driver of most of the countries of the Caribbean. St.
Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is not excluded
from this reality. By extension, the Caribbean is
known to be one of the most Tourism dependent
regions in the world.